Happiness or Heartache?
by StephanieTripleHFan
Summary: Paul is a famous Football player for the Denver Broncos, he tore his ACL and is out for a year. Stephanie is sent to be a live-in physio with Paul. How will they get along living together for 8 months? Will Stephanie let Paul in?
1. Chapter 1

Stephanie sat at her desk with narrowed eyes, staring right through her colleague and friend Tasha. "You know how much I hate home stays Tash, why can you not go instead of me?!" Stephanie scowled. "Steph, you know how well me and John are doing right now, I don't want to move into this guys home for 8 months i'll miss him! The guys paying ALOT to have you there anyway its a win-win situation." Tasha countered. "Plus, You don't have anything going on in your life right now, Steph, the guys a hunk! Haven't you seen him play football before? Maybe you'll get lucky and find yourself a new boyfriend, hm?" Tash smirked. "I _cant_. I don't have time for that in my life right now..not after Shawn Tash you know that..I'm focusing on my career now why can't any of the other girls go anyway?" Steph questioned. "Steph you can't let what happened with Shawn prevent you from finding your own happiness, you deserve it more than anyone I know...and the thing is, Paul requested _you_ as his home support physio." Tash said quietly, waiting for Stephanie's reaction. Stephanie was shocked to say the least. Why would this football star request _her _of all people to come live with him, she was sure he didn't even know what she looked like or even knew that she existed.

"Tash I really don't think I'm ready for this" Steph said. They were sitting in her car outside the gates to Paul's house, it was intimidating, she knew nothing about him, what did he look like? Was he a nice guy? Sure Stephanie was into her sports but she didn't recognise his name.  
><em>Paul Levesque<em>. That was all the sign on the gate read...did she recognise that second name?  
>"STEPH!" That brought her out of her daze. "Are we gonna sit in this car all day? Come on Steph he's expecting us." "Actually yes, I'd quite gladly spend all day sitting inside this car rather than moving in with a guy I've never met for the next 8 or so months" she crossed her arms and scowled.<br>Tasha rolled her eyes and pressed the button for the gate, Stephanie snapped her head round to face her, wide eyed. "Tash?! What the he..." Stephanie was cut off by the voice coming from the intercom. "Hello?" "Its Tasha and Stephanie from Denver Physios, you are expecting us?" "Of course" The gates slowly started to open and Stephanie was speechless at the house. "Come on in".

After much debating Tasha finally got Stephanie out of the car, they were standing on the porch in front of these massive doors, Stephanie was less than happy with this. The doors opened slowly and a man in crutches opened the door. "Hey, I'm Paul" he hopped to the side with the help of crutches "Come in, come in." Stephanie couldn't help but stare, the man was a god she gave him that much! His golden locks brushed back neatly and held together with a band. His muscles. God, his muscles, his arms were barely contained in his shirt, his physique looked amazing masked by his clothes and spicy cologne which had wafted its way over to her. She was knocked out of her daze when she was nudged by Tasha, whispering to go in. Stephanie walked through the door first and her arm skimmed Paul's shirt, Tash walked in behind her smirking, she knew Stephanie liked him.

Paul had picked Stephanie because she came highly recommended by his team mates from the Denver Broncos, apparently she was one of the best sports physiotherapists in the USA but Paul had no idea she looked this hot, sure Paul had a girlfriend but she was all about the glam and fame and seemed to sponge off of Paul's money, honestly he was with her to get his team mates off his back, she constantly moaned at him for anything and everything, Paul wanted to just drop her but with the press and his team mates pressure to get a woman tied down he went with it. Stephanie was beautiful though, he thanked his lucky stars he'd be spending the best part of 8 months with her.

"You shouldn't be on crutches yet" He heard behind him. Stephanie was staring at him with her arms folded with a less than impressed look on her face. "I know I know but my girlfriend isn't here and I had to let you guys in didn't I? Besides, that fucking wheelchair annoys the life outta me, how can anyone put up with them?" Stephanie had an answer for everything, despite his amazing looks and physique she would still rather be in her own home, "Well you've just had surgery for a torn ACL, You should be resting your leg, you could have told us over the intercom and we'd have let ourselves in." She sneered. "Alright I'm sorry okay, God" he muttered the last part while he shooed everyone into the living room. Stephanie looked like she'd rather be anywhere else than here as the 2 women sat there awkwardly on his sofa. Yeah she was hot but if she didn't want to be here he wouldn't want to keep her here.

"So I'm gonna go and leave you both to it" Tash said standing up, "Nice to meet you Paul, I'm sure Stephanie has you well looked after." She said looking over at Stephanie who narrowed her eyes at her, Tash smirked back. "Thanks for coming over, and sorting all this out Tasha, I'm sure Stephanie will be wonderful here." Paul smiled at both women.

Tash walked to the door and Stephanie excused herself to walk her out, "Tash I seriously can't do this, I've not done a homer in years I can't even remember what to do!" Tash laughed, "Steph your one of the most gifted sports therapists in the world, you'll be fine, trust me, and...I seen how you looked at Paul, I'm sure you'll be juuuuust fine." She laughed while walking away. "Tash! Come back!" Stephanie sighed heavily as Tash left in her car and she shut the door.

Walking back into the living room Stephanie stared at Paul who was fiddling with his hands and stared up at her as she entered the room, he smirked at her. "Sooo make yourself at home, theres plenty of bedrooms to choose from, I'm on the one on the first floor to the right of the elevator...you could always choose the one next to me...you know, just incase I really need help" Paul had a girlfriend, what was he thinking? "Umm...look I'm gonna have a look around and grab the rest of my stuff from home I'll be like an hour will you be okay till I'm back?" Stephanie Asked. "Sure, or I could always join you? I haven't had proper fresh air in a while and well..maybe we can get to know each other on the way there?" Stephanie was sceptical to say the least. There was no denying she was attracted to him, could she handle being in an enclosed space with him?  
>"...Lets go, I'll help you out to the car.."<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

After much fiddling about and finally making sure Paul got into her car safely they arrived at Steph's house. It was a long car journey, made longer by the pure silence and awkwardness in the car. Paul didn't want to say anything incase she reacted the wrong way, she made him feel uneasy in some sort of way and he didn't know how to approach her. Stephanie on the other hand just wanted to get this over with, moving was the last thing on her list.

"You wait here and I'll get my stuff, I need to pack my clothes and another few essentials.." Steph said.

"Can I co.." he was cut off "No you cant come in Paul, it'll take twice as long getting you out of the car, just put on the radio or something." Steph said as she got out of the car.

Paul sighed, in a way he agreed but come on, it wouldn't take that long to get out of the car would it? Plus women take ages doing anything that involves clothes. Paul was a determined person and nothing was going to stop him getting what he wanted. He opened the car door and grabbed his crutches from the back seats as he swung his legs round...

Stephanie was upstairs sorting which clothes she was and wasn't taking. She already grabbed the essentials and put them in a box along with some come comforts, hell if she was moving out for 8 months there was no way she wasn't bringing home with her. All that was left was clothes, since she wasn't in the treatment rooms for 8 months, uniform wouldn't be needed, which was one good thing at least. She was busy throwing things in and out of boxes when she came across a picture of her and her ex, Michael. Both of them were pulling funny faces, it was a memory she would always remember. That was before she knew he was cheating on her, Stephanie was surprising him for when he got back from his business trip by letting herself into his home and planning on making a nice romantic dinner when she found him on the sofa in a compromising position with another woman, it broke her heart to the point where Stephanie hasn't dated in a few years.

Paul made his way eagerly but slowly into her apartment, he pushed through a few doors to find Steph on the other end of one, he felt his heart twitch and his eyes soften from his determined demeanour when he seen her lying on her bed with her head in her hands sniffing, he walked up to her and went to put his hand on her shoulder when he fell on the bed "FUCK" Paul shouted in pain, Stephanie shot up quickly wiping her eyes. "What the fuck Paul?! I told you to stay in the car why are you in here?!"

"Ahh, ah fuck, ouch." Paul groaned as he gripped onto his knee. "I, uh, I thought you could do with a little help, I know how chicks are like with clothes.."

"Well I'm nearly finished, actually. And how on earth did you get in here yourself, hurting yourself, and without me hearing might I add?"

Paul knew that was coming "You might have heard me if you didn't have your head in your hands. Why were you crying Steph?"

Steph got up from the bed quickly and started putting clothes into boxes, she didn't even look to see what she was bringing she just wanted to get going, and without answering that question. "Why do you care?" She replied hastily.

"Steph come on, I know I'm not your favourite person in the world but we're gonna be living together for 8 months, you can trust me."

Stephanie looked him in the eyes, she could get lost in those brown pools. "Lets just go." Steph said walking past him.

Paul grabbed onto her arm, still sitting on the bed, turning her around to face him, she couldn't look him in the eyes or the tears would fall again, she couldn't speak about it. "I'm here Steph". Paul reached up and wiped a tear that fell from her eyes, Steph pulled her arm away and made her way out to the car with some boxes. Paul grabbed his crutches and hopped over to the window to see where she was going when he seen the picture sticking out from under the pillow, he lifted it and saw it was ripped in half as he felt under the pillow for the other half. He jumped as he got a paper cut from it but pulled the other half out and held them together. Everything fell into place. The moodiness, the crying, the trust he couldn't feel from her, the awkwardness. It all fell into place. He jumped as he heard her re-enter the room and he turned around to face her. Stephanie kept looking between Paul and the picture in his hands when she seen the paper cut which had managed to drip around his hand. "You're just a walking casualty aren't you." she commented.

He didn't know what to say when she walked in the room he just stared, he didn't know what she was going to do. He got it now, he got why she was acting like this, and when they made eye contact she knew he know, he knew how hurt she was. When she commented on his paper cut he had forgotten all about it and let go of the photo as she walked closer to examine the paper cut, "Lets go back to yours, I've got everything I need from this place and I can clean that up so it doesn't get infected." She said as she had her hand on his. Paul felt the electricity, he looked down at Stephanie as she looked up at him, Paul felt himself leaning forward as Stephanie pulled away. She grabbed the photo from the bed and dropped it in the bin as she made her way out.

What was he thinking, "I have a girlfriend" thought Paul. "I can't be acting like this towards her." As he hobbled out towards the car. Stephanie locked up and they made their way back to Paul's.

"Well, this is me for the next 8 months or so." Thought Stephanie as she was locking up. She turned the engine on as she started the drive home.

"Steph, about in there..."

"It was nothing." She cut him off as they drove home the rest of the way, the only noise being the radio which Paul took it upon himself to switch on as he watched Steph lock the door earlier.

He was going to get to the bottom of this, he wanted him to open up to her. He wanted to help her.

They pulled into Paul's drive way as they both locked eyes on a tall, bronzed, blonde standing in the doorway of Paul's porch.

Paul sighed, this was gonna be a long day, he knew this wasn't going to be good as the blonde strutted quickly towards Stephanie's car.


End file.
